Angels for Better or Worse

If angels are supposed to be watching over us, why do we still make mistakes?

No one is perfect, and even though I mess up often, I still believe I’m being watched over. But there are some mistakes I just can’t see happening if an angel is supposed to be guiding us. Are some angels better at being angels than others? –Felicia

Yes, I believe you are being watched over by an angel. But what would life be like if we could not make our own decisions, but kept being corrected by an angel? Flat, meaningless, and devoid of free will.

Let’s approach your question from another perspective. If we believe that God is with us, and the Holy Spirit is active in helping, encouraging, and leading us, do we blame God when we mess up? No, we generally accept responsibility for our actions, and try to be more open to God’s help and willing to do what is right. It's similar with angels. They don't prevent things from happening to us, but they lead us to loving responses.

God’s angels often minister to us in less obvious ways. It is helpful to remember that when Jesus was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion, the Bible records that an angel came and ministered to him (Luke 22:43). The angel did not keep Jesus from the pain and agony of the cross, but he did strengthen Jesus so that he would be able to face all that was before him.

When you are going through difficult times that you cannot understand, don’t wonder if you have a second-rate angel. It’s true we find them in the movies. (Remember Jimmy Stewart’s bumbling guardian angel, Clarence, in the film It’s a Wonderful Life?)However, the Bible reminds us that angels excel in wisdom and knowledge, and that they have had a long history of experience. You are in good hands with God’s angels.

So don’t wonder if your angel is capable. Instead, look for ways that God is in your life, helping you through difficulties. Take time to thank him for sending his unseen angels to be with you.

If God is all-knowing and can do all things, why does he need to use angels?--Mackenzie R.

God does not need to use angels. He chooses to. From the biblical perspective, God could have remained in majestic solitude throughout eternity. Instead, it was his choice to create angels to do his will.

Billy Graham wrote, "At one time no angels existed; indeed there was nothing but the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Paul, in Colossians 1:16, says, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible." Angels are indeed among the invisible things made by God, for all things were created by him and for him.

There are times God chooses to do things directly. Other times he uses his angels to carry out his commands. The majority of God’s innumerable angels serve him in heaven. The Bible only gives hints of the heavenly hosts’ assignments and responsibilities there.

When it is best for God's work to be done on earth, God gives the assignments to angels. Most people think primarily of guardian angels, but angels are mentioned hundreds of times in the Scriptures, all serving God in many ways. Angels serve as policemen (Genesis 3:24), weightlifters (Matthew 28:2), lion tamers (Daniel 6:21), birth announcers (Luke 2:21), name givers (Luke 2:21), firefighters (Daniel 3:28), and locksmiths (Acts 12:6-7).

The Bible also makes it clear that God often chooses to use people to help others. Unlike holy angels who delight to do God's work, humans often choose not to help when needed. I think that it is usually God’s first choice to use a human; God only uses angels when people do not respond in a way that allows his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.